Last morning at Freedom Island

Flying at 17:30 I had one last chance to check out Freedom Island, so took a taxi as before, this time having him drop me at the top of the gravel track parallel with the sea.

Just fledged Clamorous Reed Warbler young were dangling off low mangrove branches, many Black-crowned Night Herons, a very secretive Yellow Bittern at pool 1.

At pool 2 same as 27th Black-winged Stilt, 3 Philippine Duck, Barred Rail, White-breasted Waterhen, Little Egret, 3-4 Olive-Backed Sunbird, this time I walked on past pool 2 and heard 3+ Philippine Tailorbird and saw Golden Bellied Flyeater and Tawny Grassbird. As I walked back up the gravel track more Asian Glossy Starlings went over, then 3-4 Pied Triller were hiding in the trees to the right, their chattering calls standing out amongst the noisy Clamorous Reed Warblers.

I decided a walk back along the parallel track earlier was in order and watched the steady flow of rubbish floating into the bay, but despite the sight, watched the various herons standing on the rubbish, picking at fish that were no doubt nibbling underneath, Little Egret, BC Night Heron, Rufous Night Heron, Striated Heron, all benefiting, plus Great and Intermediate Egrets on the mangrove edges behind.

 

It brings mixed feelings seeing the rubbish and I doubt the site stands a chance against the appeal of a corporate giant like San Miguel, offering to build a new international airport here. Sure Manila needs and deserves a good airport, but at what cost to wildlife and needless to say many birds will still present a threat to aircraft arrivals and departures. What mitigation might be offered if any?

Despite the traffic and rubbish, I still love the Philippines, the people and all it has to offer and cannot wait to come back.

27th May - Freedom Island

After moving down to an apartment in Global City, I took a taxi to Freedom Island, which is surprisingly unknown to locals and taxi drivers alike, but with the help of our friendly security guards, I arrived around 05:30. If you have similar issues you need to ask them to take the toll road to Cavite and take the left just before the first toll itself. A taxi can return the way it came without having to go thru the toll, by using the parallel track, which takes you through the fish and veg market and under the toll road and into some back roads of Las Pinas Paranaque.

Having only been once before I had him drop me right near the toll road, which means you have to walk another 300 yards before you even enter the island track itself. But if you like Striated Grassbirds they are all around in the trees and bushes by the various piles of rubble and rusting old cars and diggers, Clamorous Reed Warbler and Yellow Vented Bulbul, also common before the security gate.

Black Crowned Night Heron are very common and in the twilight, there is a constant flow of birds heading to the mangroves where they breed, obviously in some numbers. Of course Little Egret and the odd Great Egret are there too, but most of the Striated Heron you are around the boulders along the shore to the left once you turn right towards the ponds, the odd Yellow Bittern can also be seen flying about on the way down the track.

The start of the track leading to the pools

As you walk along the track, Barred Rails run across from either side, Zebra Doves like to alight the track when it warms up later.

Lots of Clamorous Reed Warbler sing and call in the bushes along the track, I saw newly fledged young too and if you want to take your time, I expect other stuff is there to be found.

At pool 1, which I think of as the entrance, there is a birding screen, all the herons get on there, but most of it flushes as you approach, except the odd Black Crowned Night Heron.

I photographed Yellow Bittern here last time, so it is worth approaching slowly and quietly.

Funny how the Moorhen here are so shy and inclined to fly off too.


















Going left of pool 1, takes you to pool 2 more quickly, but again you arrive from an angle that is hard not to flush stuff, so if you take the path to the right you can creep up on pool 2 and see what is on it before it all flies off. In this case I had 3 Philippine Duck, White-breasted Waterhen, 20-30 Black-winged Stilt, Barred Rail and best of all, my first ever Rufous Night Heron, an adult and juvenile, so whilst it doesn't mean they breed there, it seems very likely.

 

Adult and juvenile Rufous Night Heron, juv BC above left

Walking the tracks near the mangroves is pretty tough going, hearing a lot, but seeing much less, Philippine Tailorbirds can be heard in various spots, some Asian Glossy Starlings alighted a tree briefly, Golden Bellied Flyeater is very common, Pied Fantail and Yellow Vented Bulbul feels like they are on every bush, Zebra Dove calling all the time, Olive Backed Sunbird twittering away too.

Lots of screechy calls are probably the various crakes and the odd call evaded my bins, so again more is there to be found.

When I left I walked all the way along the parallel track to the toll road, knowing flagging a taxi would not work at the toll itself. At the gate to the fish market, the friendly security guard Mark, got me a cycle ride to the other side of the toll road and I found it hilarious to be peddled on what looked like an old car seat welded on the back of a bicycle, thru the market, smiling at all the locals I was went by and up the traffic congested back streets of Las Pinas Paranaque. Laughably the young lad asked for 100 pesos (it would have been less in an air conditioned taxi) and I gave him 40 plus a cigarette, then walked another 1.5 kilometres to a big junction by the 7-11, where I did flag a taxi, only to be told he didn't know where I wanted to go even with my calling my wife to explain. Soon after I got another taxi and had a funny conversation with that taxi driver about world politics all the way back to Global City.

La Mesa 2nd and final visit

I couldn't sleep so headed off to La Mesa very early, only to find the gates locked and had to wait until 05:15 before the security guard arrived to unlock.

The unusual sight of a locked outer entrance gate to La Mesa Eco Park

A cheeky security guard at the outer check point, also charged me 20 pesos to come in and I should have argued more and refused to pay....you don't have to so if this happens to you, tell them you are taking their picture and want a receipt and photo of their ID, I think will bring a quick retraction on any request for fees.

While I waited at the gate, a Night Heron Sp flew over East and as this has happend several times before, so it might be nice to one day find where they roost to get a confirmed ID....probably Black Crowned looking at the size?

After going across the bridge I often sneak in the gate on the immediate right as it puts you right near the fish ponds for a try for Indigo Banded Kingfisher and quicker access to the back trails, I haven't been told off yet, but might be taking liberties.

At the trail, I sat down at the same spot as yesterday and was quickly rewarded with Slaty Legged Crake creeping through the leaf litter, then mind blowing views of Ashy Ground Thrush, down to 7 feet, so too close to photo a lot of the time. When it did finally move back to 10-12 feet I went to town with shots.

Rather splendily the Ashy Ground Thrush was often very near, or even squabbling with Red-Bellied Pitta, but the latter was much harder to catch on the iphone, as it rarely stopped moving and despite often crossing the path, I only managed to get these shots after it landed and settled for a minute or so about 35-40 feet away.

I walked around quietly for while longer, hearing both Pitta species calling before 07:00, then had nice views of Common Emerald Dove and Glossy Swiftlet at the gate and just before I crossed it, what I think was Large Hawk Cuckoo flew low right and away, all too quickly, but I did see the tail bands and grey head, so am fairly sure that is what it was.

La Mesa Eco Park

I arrived a little late (05:40) at La Mesa on the 20th and headed straight to the edge of the fishing pools, hoping for smaller Kingfishers, no luck, so headed on to the quieter woodland trails. White Collared Kingfisher was noisy, but mostly unseen. The usual Yellow-vented Bulbuls, Pied Fantails, Lowland White Eyes, Black-naped Oriole all fairly conspicuous.

On the back path I reacquainted myself with Oriental Magpie Robin song and call and soon after 3 Philippine Tailorbird noisily chased each other around, a Golden Bellied Flyeater landed in front of me for a few moments and as it was so close, had me believing it was something else for a moment. I stepped towards the grassy clearing and a Philippine Coucal flew up from the grass and crept along a bare branch, almost daring me to take an iphone picture, but with most of it quickly obscured I watched it for a few moments instead, before it vanished into the vegetation.

I could hear 3 or more Red-Bellied Pitta, but could not get on them and it felt slow going for an hour, but as I left the tailorbirds, two birds flushed off the path, one was probably pitta, the other was Ashy Ground Thrush, which lingered long enough to ID.

I got the urge to sit down at a path junction and am very glad I did, as within 10 minutes something landed on the path just on my right about 12 feet away, I turned my head slowly, but couldn't lift my bins for fear of flushing it and my jaw dropped as I realised it was my first Hooded Pitta. It stood motionless for 10 or more seconds, the iridescent blues shimmering in the spangled light, then jumped a couple of feet left, stopped and then flew further left and away into the undergrowth. Wow!

The Hooded Pitta called several times after, giving me a good comparison on Red-Bellied.

Time to head back home and I picked up a taxi at the entrance, grinning ear to ear all the way home.

Last morning at Camp John Hay

As we planned to leave for Quezon City by lunchtime on the 19th, my last walk was shorter, but still good fun and rewarding.

I stopped at the Eco Trail sign to see Citrine Canary Flycatcher at it's usual 05:15 perch and got this shot, but I missed the best chance for a good pic.

I walked up towards the golf course and then left after a small dip and spent time watching 5+ Mountain White Eye, 5+ Velvet Fronted Nuthatch, numerous Elegant Tits, Philippine Pygmy Woodpecker, Slender Billed Crow and heard 4+ Tawny Grassbird, plus one more call I could not get near the bird to ID.

I decided on one last concerted effort to see the bird(s) that just kept on calling near the board walk bridge and thought I'd try pishing, so sat down and began very quietly doing so, immediately a small brown bird jumped up to investigate only 7 feet away and I could see with my naked eyes, it was Luzon Bush Warbler, awesome I thought and then even better, it was promptly joined by it's mate. The faint calls behind them were most likely their young calling. For anyone visiting, the first two long notes are unmistakeable and at least 3 are singing in the low wet scrub areas here.

Feeling very chuffed with myself, I began heading back and saw more Citrine Canary Flycatcher, a pair of Blue Headed Fantail mating and then a good view thru bins of Buzzing Flowerpecker (Cagayenensis), but I did miss out on catching a shot of Chestnut Faced Babbler, although got good scope views.

Just enoung time for a celebratory coffee at 'Mr Beans' and it was time to leave and we were soon heading down the mountain back to Quezon City, as we came down, Philippine Swiftlet, Pied Bushchat, House Swift & Glossy Swiftlet were noted, as we came past Clark, Striated Grassbird, White Breasted Wood Swallow, on thru Pampanga and Oriental Pratincole, small Bittern sp and various egrets were seen.

Second day at Camp John Hay

18th and I arrived 05:30 a bit late really, I wondered over to the fields on the opposite side of the road and had anoisy pair of White Throated Kingfisher, then went back to the entrance to the Eco trail and on my way found 3 Long-tailed Shrike to the left.

Elegant Tits everywhere, even a shot despite their mobile nature.

The before I headed in to the trail a Philippine Pygmy Woodpecker showed well enough for a shot too.

I again admired the habitat in the sunlight again and it looks alot like our heathland forests in Berkshire, except of course the bird noises are completely different and even with the altitude, the temperature in the mid to high twenties made it feel very different.

On the loop back I did see Mountain White Eye, Velvet Fronted Nuthatch, numerous Elegant Tits, Philippine Pygmy Woodpecker, Slender Billed Crow and brief views of Blue-headed Fantail, then headed back to the boardwalk to try and see the noisy birds in the scrub near there, but could not see the bird.

3 Lifers from the balcony

We arrived at Manila International on 15th May at 22:30, but due to alleged technical failure, luggage took 2 hours to arrive, which is bad enough any day, but with a 2 year old to look after it was dreadful.

On the 17th we drove up to Baguio, enjoying Oriental Pratincole around Pampanga as they flew over the toll road, a few Bee-Eaters also seen, but could not be sure which of the two species.

It was a long and painful journey due to countless broken down heavy lorries on the toll road and then roadworks on the road to Baguio. On arrival at the apartment, I stood on the balcony and after just a few minutes a flock of 2-3 Elegant Tits, 3 Velvet-fronted Nuthatch and several Mountain White-Eye, all passed through the nearby pines.....good start!

The 18th I started 04:30 at Camp John Hay, in the pitch dark, various calls began around 04:50, then the Elegant Tits began appearing around 05:05. I stood under the zip wire, not knowing where the Eco trail was and many Yellow-vented Bulbul called, as it got light I found the trail and stopped at a noisy call, and for an hour tried to see what was making it. With no joy after an hour I walked on down the dip, down the steps and over the small bridge, following the track left until I got to the boardwalk/bridge. There the call kicked off again and with a bit of movement below me, picked up a Tawny Grassbird, mystery solved and I could hear 3-4 in the area.

I paused to take in the habitat around me and captured a few shots of the sunlight spangling through the canopy.

Many twittering calls around me I picked up my first 2-3 Citrine Canary Flycatchers and enjoyed them very much, hoping a better picture chance would present itself over the next 2 visits.

A lone Brown Shrike appeared and disappeared, then following the track to the top near the golf course I came across an agitated pair of Long-tailed Shrike, no doubt nesting nearby.

I then doubled back on myself and waited near the wooden boardwalk, picking up the noisy group of birds again, I checked them and had more Citrine Canary Flycatcher and Elegant Tits. When I got to the top of steps near the Butterfly Farm, I scanned the vegetation below and found my first Blue-Headed Fantail, Chestnut Faced Babbler and numerous more Velvet-Fronted Nuthatch.

I walked the 150-200 yards to the 'Mile High' shops and had a coffee at Mr Beans, which is open from 07:30 which is useful to know when you need extra water, or want to celebrate and reflect on your finds, as did.